Anion-pi-pi interactions in a dinuclear M2L2 metallocycle

The combination of the square-planar cis-protected [Pt(dppp)(O 3SCF 3) 2] (M) with the ditopic N, N'-bis(3,5-dimethyl-4-pyridinyl)-4-ethoxy-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide ligand (L) leads both in solution and in the solid state to the quantitative self-assembly of a M 2L 2 metallocycle. We also report crystallographic evidence derived from the solid-state structure of the dinuclear metallocycle in support of the existence of anion-pi-pi interactions.